Appearance Care
Exterior Care
The paintwork on your Mazda represents the latest technical developments in composition and methods of application.
Environmental hazards, however, can harm the paint's protective properties, if proper care is not taken.
Here are some examples of possible damage, with tips on how to prevent them.
Etching Caused by Acid Rain or Industrial Fallout
Occurrence
Industrial pollutants and vehicle emissions drift into the air and mix with rain or dew to form acids. These acids can settle on a vehicle's finish. As the water evaporates, the acid becomes concentrated and can damage the finish.
And the longer the acid remains on the surface, the greater the chance is for damage.
Prevention
It is necessary to wash and wax your vehicle to preserve its finish according to the instructions in this section. These steps should be taken immediately after you suspect that acid rain has settled on your vehicle's finish.
Damage Caused by Bird Dropping, Insects, or Tree Sap
Occurrence
Bird droppings contain acids. If these are not removed they can eat away the clear and color base coat of the vehicle's paintwork.
When insects stick to the paint surface and decompose, corrosive compounds form. These can erode the clear and color base coat of the vehicle's paintwork if they are not removed.
Tree sap will harden and adhere permanently to the paint finish. If you scratch the sap off while it is hard, some vehicle paint could come off with it.
Prevention
It is necessary to have your Mazda washed and waxed to preserve its finish according to the instructions in this section. This should be done as soon as possible.
Bird droppings can be removed with a soft sponge and water. If you are traveling and these are not available, a moistened tissue may also take care of the problem. The cleaned area should be waxed according to the instructions in this section.
Insects and tree sap are best removed with a soft sponge and water or a commercially available chemical cleaner.
Another method is to cover the affected area with dampened newspaper for 1 to 2 hours. After removing the newspaper, rinse off the loosened debris with water.
Water Marks
Occurrence
Rain, fog, dew, and even tap water can contain harmful minerals such as salt and lime. If moisture containing these minerals settles on the vehicle and evaporates, the minerals will concentrate and harden to form white rings. The rings can damage your vehicle's finish.
Prevention
It is necessary to wash and wax your vehicle to preserve its finish according to the instructions in this section. These steps should be taken immediately after you find water marks on your vehicle's finish.
Paint Chipping
Occurrence
Paint chipping occurs when gravel thrown in the air by another vehicle's tires hits your vehicle.
How to avoid paint chipping
Keeping a safe distance between you and the vehicle ahead reduces the chances of having your paint chipped by flying gravel.
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The paint chipping zone varies with the speed of the vehicle. For example, when traveling at 90 km/h (56 mph), the paint chipping zone is 50 m (164 ft).
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In low temperatures a vehicle's finish hardens. This increases the chance of paint chipping.
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Chipped paint can lead to rust forming on your Mazda. Before this happens, repair the damage by using Mazda touch-up paint according to the instructions in this section. Failure to repair the affected area could lead to serious rusting and expensive repairs.
Follow all label and container directions when using a chemical cleaner or polish. Read all warnings and cautions.
Bright-Metal Maintenance
Underbody Maintenance
Road chemicals and salt used for ice and snow removal and solvents used for dust control may collect on the underbody. If not removed, they will speed up rusting and deterioration of such underbody parts as fuel lines, frame, floor pan, and exhaust system, even though these parts may be coated with anti-corrosive material.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and wheel housings with lukewarm or cold water at the end of each winter. Try also to do this every month.
Pay special attention to these areas because they easily hide mud and dirt. It will do more harm than good to wet down the road grime without removing it.
The lower edges of doors, rocker panels, and frame members have drain holes that should not be clogged. Water trapped there will cause rusting.
Dry off brakes that have become wet by driving slowly, releasing the accelerator pedal and lightly applying the brakes several times until the brake performance returns to normal:
Driving with wet brakes is dangerous. Increased stopping distance or the vehicle pulling to one side when braking could result in a serious accident. Light braking will indicate whether the brakes have been affected.
Seat Belt Maintenance
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Clean the soiled area by lightly dabbing it with a soft cloth soaked in a mild detergent (approx. 5%) diluted with water.
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Wipe off the remaining detergent using a cloth soaked in clean water and wrung out well.
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Before retracting seat belts which have been pulled out for cleaning, dry them off thoroughly and make sure there is no remaining moisture on them.
If a seat belt appears frayed or has abrasions, have it replaced by an Authorized Mazda Dealer:
If a seat belts is used under such a condition, it cannot function at its full capacity which could result in serious injury or death.
Use a mild detergent to remove soiling from a seat belt:
If organic solvents are used for cleaning the seat belts or they become stained or bleached, there is the possibility of them becoming weakened and as a result, they may not function at their full capacity which could cause serious injury or death.
Clean seat belts diligently if they get dirty. Leaving them uncleaned will make it difficult to clean them later, and it may affect the smooth retracting of the seat belt.
Panel Maintenance
If a panel becomes soiled, wipe it off with a soft cloth soaked in clean water and thoroughly wrung out.
If some areas require further cleaning, use the following procedure:
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Wipe the soiled area with a soft cloth soaked in a mild detergent (approx. 5 %) diluted with water.
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Wipe off the remaining detergent using a cloth soaked in clean water and wrung out well.
Be particularly careful when cleaning shiny surface panels and metallic parts such as plating as they can be scratched easily.
Cleaning the Window Interiors
If the windows become covered with an oily, greasy, or waxy film, clean them with glass cleaner. Follow the directions on the container.
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Do not scrape or scratch the inside of the window glass. It could damage the thermal filaments and the antenna lines.
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When washing the inside of the window glass, use a soft cloth dampened in lukewarm water, gently wiping the thermal filaments and the antenna lines.
Use of glass cleaning products could damage the thermal filaments and the antenna lines.
Cleaning the Floor Mats
Rubber floor mats should be cleaned with mild soap and water only.
Do not use rubber cleaners, such as tire cleaner or tire shine, when cleaning rubber floor mats:
Cleaning the rubber floor mats with rubber cleaning products makes the floor mats slippery.
This may cause an accident when depressing the accelerator or brake pedal or when getting in or out of the vehicle.
After removing the floor mats for cleaning, always reinstall them securely (Search).
